Selling my pony then keeping her on yard

[Angelbones]

Some advice please guys, I'm in a quandry.

I hopefully have sold one of the kid's ponies (they are taking her out for xc tomorrow then will decide), to some very nice people I know from pony club. I know they are about to buy a house with land, but don't have anywhere to take the pony to in the short term. Now, I suspect they are going to ask me to keep the pony at mine until they are sorted.

Normally I'd say yes, for a couple of weeks, as a favour but I think this could go on for some time, especially if their house purchase runs into trouble. I really don't want to get into a long term situation with them, and can't afford to. I am short staffed at the moment and it would mean more input from me as the pony needs turning out etc at different times to the others (she is on a diet, and has to be kept away from midges, fly rug on/off, lotions applied etc). There is also an issue of them using the yard / school when I'm not there - eg coming to ride on a Sunday so they'd have to have padlocks codes etc (this doesn't worry me on an honesty level, just that I'd feel the need to go and check they'd locked up etc after they'd gone). Really and truly it is just a complication I could do without right now - for all sorts of reasons I'm looking for an easier time of things and selling a pony or two would make a real difference. I don't have liveries, this is my family's private yard. I've been talking to someone today who said the buyers would have to insure the pony in case anything happened to her whilst in my care, that I could get into trouble with rates / tax etc if the 'authorities' discovered I am taking money for keeping a pony etc. Is this something I should be avoiding, or is it really nothing to worry about?

If they do want to keep her with me for a while, I think it would have to involve payment of some sort (or it would end up eating into the purchase price) , even if it is for hay / feed, and a couple of hours wages for my part time groom for exercising the pony twice during the week, but all of mine get groomed, fed, turned out etc daily, plus horsewalker, baths, equissage, lunged on others days so the cost could really add up. Having never kept a pony at livery I have no idea how much these things are charged out at. Can anyone give me some pointers please?

In an ideal world I'd sell the lovely pony and she'd go immediately to a lovely new home and we'd move on, but I'm happy with the new people and want to be nice, and help them out (will be seeing them at pc and on the hunting field all year) but really it needs to be set out at the start or I just know i'll be setting myself up for a fall down the line.

thanks guys

 

[TequilaMist]

Would depend on your area.Up here can be anything from £70 plus per week and that wouldn't always include riding and grooming.Know one yard charges £345 for f/l Mon-Frid only shoes/wormer excluded and would be basic feed

 

[scally]

To be honest she doesnt sound the easiest pony to look after i.e. has to be kept away from midges, fly rug on/off, lotions applied etc, so getting a sale in this market is really positive.

You are quite right when you say about business rates it is also your responsibility to have insurance (care and custody) for the pony not the new owners as you are charging a fee for your services.

I think you have a few options.

Either keep the pony free of charge but increase the purchase price by x amount and that will mean you will keep her until xx date and they pay you for the full lot on purchase. Technically then they are not paying for livery but purchase price of the pony and you are keeping her free.

Keep the pony with you and set out the livery charge each week you will charge them and either risk not having insurance etc, or livery charge and take out appropriate polices (you must already have employers liability so just need care and custody).

Recommend a good livery yard for them to keep her at.

Keep advertising her, until the perfect buyer comes along.

I hope it works out for you, nothing in life is ever straight forward.

 

[Chestnuttymare]

You could just be honest and tell them that you don't have the room or the time to look after her and also that you are not insured for liveries. I am sure they could find a livery yard to move her to until their house is ready . If I were them, i wouldn't really want to be where I was putting someone to an inconvenience so i am sure they would appreciate the honesty.

 

[depurple1]

Could you put a deadline on it? Maybe say that you could keep the pony for a month, but need the space for another horse over that? This would give them time to make alternative arrangements if need be.

 

[Angelbones]

To be honest she doesnt sound the easiest pony to look after i.e. has to be kept away from midges, fly rug on/off, lotions applied etc, so getting a sale in this market is really positive..

thanks Scally, ironically enough she is a pony I could sell 10x over as she is so good that I've a queue from the pc to try her out - its just that this particular family have been wanting her for over a year and I really want their son to have her! I don't find the pony particular hard to look after - its just that her routine is different to my others and I was thinking about being more particular with her after the sale as she wouldn't be mine any more so I wouldn't want to take any chances.

I like your idea of adding livery to the purchase price and think I'll discuss that with them today. I really don't want to be getting into insurance myself, just to help them out - that seems crazy really. And yes to putting a deadline on it, unless the mum can come over and sort her out herself, but still it would have to be for a finite time.

thanks everyone for your replies

 

[Alexart]

I've been in this situation before for a friend who bought a horse off us - we ended up with the horse here for 8 months - and over winter too - she was originally going to find her a livery yard within a month!! She only contributed for haylage - my sister and I did all the mucking out, handling etc!!!! And it got to the point where we got seriously angry and had to force her to find a yard, as basically she was saving heaps of money and costing us loads and our time too and couldn't see a problem with it as we have other horses too so what difference did one more make!!!! It doesn't matter how well you think you know people!!!
So do beware, get a written agreement drawn up and charge a lot for livery - waaaay more than necessary - if they are happy to pay then great, but hopefully it will put them off and spur them into action about finding a livery yard near by - you'd be amazed how fast people can get things organised when it is costing them extra!!! Unfortunately people will take advantage of a good thing no matter how well you know them, be business minded so you don't end up in an awkward situation which is even harder to get out of and ends up costing you extra and your time too!!

 

[millitiger]

if you have a queue of people wanting to buy her then i would simply say that you don't have the time/space to keep her and if they want to buy her they need to find a yard to put her at while they sort out their facilities at home.